News

Surge in AAB offers leads to worries over Clearing 2012

Concerns have been raised over the 2012 Clearing process in light of a reported rise in AAB offers made by universities. According to a recent article by Kim Catheside in the Guardian, the university admissions organisation have revealed the uncertainty surrounding this year’s Clearing process, which has been brought about by a combination of the following factors:

2. A large number of students with an insurance offer that is equal to their first choice (Ucas revealed in its admissions consultation that on average, 42% of applicants’ insurance offers are the same or higher than their first choice).

Unfortunately, this means that a lot of students who don’t quite make their AAB offers may end up having to go through Clearing to find a place at uni this year. Staff at the admissions organisation also suggested that certain universities – those who might not ordinarily take part in Clearing – could be looking to get in on the action by poaching students who have overachieved on their predicted grades.

Confused yet? Well let’s break all that down and see how it could affect you on results day…

First of all, the bad news: if you’re unlucky enough to miss out on your grades this year, the Clearing process may be a tad on the hectic side. However, there’s no need to panic. You may need to do a bit of forward planning, but we’ve got everything you need to prepare for Clearing right here. Read on, and if you need anything to be clarified or have any further questions, don’t hesitate to drop us a line on Twitter or Facebook.

What do the worries over Clearing 2012 mean to me?

As the Clearing process is first come, first served, results day can sometimes be a bit manic. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan in case you fall slightly short of your predicted grades (not that we want to fill you with panic, but it’s always worth considering the worst case scenario).

Luckily, we’ve done some of the planning for you: take a look at our guide on preparing for Clearing, so you can stay one step ahead and keep your stress levels to a minimum this 16 August.

How can I find the best Clearing course?

Easy. On results day, just head over to WhatUni’s Clearing 2012 tab, where you’ll be able to hunt for courses in the search bar at the top of the page (it’s not there yet, but it will be by the time Clearing starts). Then you can use our student reviews to compare the different unis that come up and see which one sounds right for you.

Good luck, and remember – the more preparation you’ve done before 16 August, the quicker you’ll be able start ringing universities for places if you need to go through Clearing.